Accommodation access

Marlborough has a wide range of space and place offerings that require the appropriate and easily accessible accommodation infrastructure to encourage visitors to explore more and stay longer at a desired comfort level. Further amplification of clear accommodation options, districts, and styles will assist in visitor confidence and encourage improved commissionable distribution via the travel trade.

Accommodation product distribution and marketing over the past 15– 20 years has become more dominated by Online Travel agents (OTAs) e.g., Booking.com. The focus on individual properties within these sites and the active strategy to make them internally competitive via features, location, and prices, has come at the expense of the cooperative and collectively beneficial common destinational message.

Marlborough has a range of experiential accommodation themes that align with our destination themes, that could be better clustered under singular media communications – including the Destination Marlborough website and associated maps to better guide the potential client over choice.

Bay of Many Coves Portage Resort

Strengths of accommodation offering in Marlborough Key Concerns

Number of holiday homes in Marlborough Sounds Undefined experience accommodation inventory

Centrally located hotels and motels in Blenheim Inconsistent quality with separate owners

Clarity with freedom camping locations and campsites Lack of high quality 4 star plus accommodation in Marlborough

Stunning theme opportunities – wine and sounds, farm–stay whale trail, conference, local foods & seafoods Limited number of destination specific hero accommodations

One night Ferry based accommodation in Picton Lack of alternative options to freedom camping – NZMCA sites

Large number of older very average motel accommodation offerings pulling destination offer down

Key Opportunities Key Strategies

Develop theme–based accommodation clusters Development of wine accommodation cluster

New 4 star plus hotel in Blenheim Development of Te Hoiere and Tōtaranui sounds accommodation market cluster

Clarity around vineyard and sounds based accommodation offering Development of Whale Trail accommodation cluster

Marlborough focused accommodation offerings that promote access to unique regional experiences Development of farm stay South Marlborough cluster

Connecting the development accommodation experiences to the four valleys and town hub concept to further activate this strategy Encouragement of new global hotel management company to build or manage new Blenheim based hotel

Possible wine and cycle tour options connected to accommodation Investigate near Picton wellness–based resort

Seek to increase more accommodation in South Marlborough

Develop high end wine based full serviced boutique hotel